At the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was blunt: “It’s the worst season ever. No matter how hard I try, it keeps getting worse.”
For weeks, the seven-time world champion has repeated the same conclusion: his first year at Ferrari has been the most difficult season of his career.
This article analyzes all of Hamilton’s Formula 1 seasons since 2007, using FastF1 data (Ergast interface) aligned with official standings. It is built around three indicators: Hamilton’s share of points vs. the championship leader, his gap to teammates in the standings, and his qualifying head-to-head record.
Measuring the downturn
To understand the 2025 season, we need to place it in the context of Hamilton’s full career.
First indicator: the share of points Hamilton scored compared to the championship leader at the same stage of the season (after 21 Grands Prix). This metric smooths out changes in points systems and calendar sizes.
In 2025, Hamilton reached only 37.9% of the leader’s points, the lowest ratio of his career since 2007.
Against his teammates: an unprecedented gap
Another angle is the in-garage comparison with teammates.
Historically, Hamilton has rarely trailed significantly. In 2025, however, the gap reaches a new level: -64 points versus Charles Leclerc.
The same pattern appears in qualifying:
After 21 races, the score is 16-5 for Leclerc, Hamilton’s largest qualifying deficit over a full season in his F1 career.
Conclusion: a season to forget
Taken together, these three indicators point to the same conclusion: at this stage, 2025 is Hamilton’s weakest season since 2007.